


Among the Snow Covered Embers

by QualityGamerMama



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Abusive Family, Anxiety, Arranged Marriage, Depression, F/F, F/M, Just shut up this will all make sense, M/M, Multi, Only one character though and he's my friends favorite, PTSD, Slight crossover with Fire Emblem: Awakening, Slow Burn, dark secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-10-22 14:56:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17664692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QualityGamerMama/pseuds/QualityGamerMama
Summary: She came from a land of ice and snow, from a family whose background was darker and dirtier than the coal miners hands. A pawn in her family, an arranged marriage to Jack, and a brother gone missing. She ran away to Pandora to uncover the truth about her twin, to at least bring back his remains for a proper burial. What she discovers is something much more dangerous than the Vaults.....





	1. Prologue 1

“They're not coming back for us.” 

Marie watched once again the last video message that her brother had sent her a month ago. 30 days since she last heard from him, since Atlas left him on that horrible planet Pandora. No further message, no more contact, no signs of his survival. Atlas sent their condolences, to the ruling hierarchy of Triton, and a large sum of money that was her brother’s life insurance policy. 

“Atlas left us here to die.”  Mephiste continued, his face red from anger and tears. “I’m sorry I won’t make it home for our birthday. Sister mine, don’t come looking for me. You wouldn’t survive this planet alone. Not as who we are.” 

Triton was dominated by the family known as Desjardins, who owned and ran the large heating generator. Mainly mining ores from Triton’s underground surface, those of the working class had been roused by unfair treatment from her grandfather and had recently caused violent uprisings in the streets. Though Marie had taken to the streets before and performed hard labor herself, she knew there were some outside who would kill her on the spot just because of her last name. 

Her grandfather, Ezekiel, wrote Mephiste off as dead. He had bigger plans for the heiress to the family name and fortune – such as to wed her off the notorious Handsome Jack of the Hyperion Company in exchange for equal shares of stock and LoaderBots to suppress the uprising workers. As a pawn to him, to the family, she was forced to accept his plan.... 

But she refused to obey his orders. 

“My lady?” 

A calm voice echoed from the darkness, Marie’s bodyguard and close friend was in the room with her. “Our belongings are packed, we have more than enough to supply us at Pandora for a short while until we get to the base.” 

“And the passage to the space shuttle?” Marie asked, adjusting the ring around her finger. The family’s symbol and heirloom: a painted ivory blue rose nestled between platinum. “Are we clear?” 

“The passage is secured. The miners are waiting for us.” The woman said, smiling. One red and one green eye hidden under pink-red bangs. “Our bags are already there, my lady. Including the special equipment you ordered...” 

Ah, yes...the sniper rifle she ordered off the Black Market. A custom-made sniper rifle that switched to full auto and special ammo that exploded on impact. Paid under her grandfather’s nose and smuggled off the planet. 

“You don’t have to come with me, Isa.” Marie said, putting on her large brown jacket. Pandora was mainly a dessert planet, or so she was told. The conditions ranged from extreme hot to extreme cold, and she had been equipped for that. “Grandfather would overlook you letting me escape, I’ve left the castle before with previous bodyguards not noticing until it was too late.” 

“I know. But I want to come. You’re my dearest friend, and I want to help.” Isa replied, grabbing her own attire. “If Mephiste and Grima are missing, then I want to find out what happened, too. They could still be alive on Pandora, trapped.” 

A reality Marie accepted and suspected was the ordeal on Pandora. It cost millions to get off the planet, much more to travel back to Triton. After Atlas had abandoned them there, there was no way to reach their savings. Most likely, the Desjardins family had received the income saved up along with the life insurance money.... 

A farewell letter to her parents, one to her grandfather, and a few photos removed from their frames. As the two girls exited out into the frozen night, Marie clutched the photo of her and her brother tight to her chest, hiding it in the inside pocket and folded. 

“Here I come, brother mine....”


	2. Prologue 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack gets the news.

Handsome Jack was furious. 

No, he was beyond furious. He was fucking pissed. An incoming call from that old fart faggot was something he usually looked forward to. But not today! 

The wrinkly skinned asshat stared at Jack with as much disdain as he did. “Jack, I’m sorry we have to delay the wedding. I’m more than happy to do whatever it takes to get her back as soon as possible and whatever it will take to keep you happy.” 

Jack rubbed the space between his eyes, feeling an incoming migraine. “Where in the hell did she run off to?” 

“Pandora.” Ezekiel replied, a glimmer in his fading smoky eyes. 

Pandora…..Jack looked out the window to see that disgusting planet full of filthy bandits. A smile creeped along his own face now. “Really? Whatever for?” 

“To find her useless brother, or what remains of him.” Ezekiel mentioned. “I know you’re by Pandora, do you mind if I-“ 

“Send forces to my station to find her? Ask me to do it? See if I can pick up some clues about her?” Jack smiled, more like sneered, and ran a hand through his brown hair. “Consider a personal favor as her future husband to go find her. Besides, I get to be the Knight in Shining Armor for her.” 

Ezekiel looked at Jack with wide eyes, clearly not expecting this reaction from Jack. “Mister Jack, you want to go to that awful place to look for her? I beg your pardon, but men of our status are far above that place!” 

“Yeah but, look at it from my view.” Jack said, popping open a drawer to pull out a revolver. “Poor girl is stuck down there looking for your corpse of a brother, bandits and psychos have her cornered. Out comes future husband, saving the day, and promising to deploy an army of LoaderBots to find brother dears corpse.” He pointed the gun at the window facing Pandora, leaning back in his chair. “We find out what happens to her brother, wedding bells ensue, your get your army of LoaderBots and I get my wife and share of your company.” 

Ezekiel blinked, trying to think of what wires were mixed up in Jack’s brain to ever make him want to go down there. “I…Very well, Mister Jack. Just remember; she needs to come back alive. After the wedding, I don’t care if you keep her locked up in your room, kill her, or leave her in a chamber like you do with your daughter. I need my army and you want your shares of the profit!” 

The call ended after that, and Jack chewed on his lower lip. God did that old man piss him off….He set down his revolver and picked up and worn-out file that bastard supplied on his future wife. 

He had seen her before, performing with her teacher at some formal event that Nisha begged him to take her to, back when they were dating. Some “Dancing with the Stars” event she enjoyed way too much, but Jack was willing to go because he needed to socialize with non-morons. And that was where he saw her, as the closing act with that beast she called a teacher. Wearing a black and jay blue evening gown meant for dancing, black hair pulled up into an elegant bun with decorative sticks stuck in, and her white bangs curled romantically around her face. What captured Jack though was how she moved across the stage effortlessly, supporting that taller gangly man and trusting him to catch her when she fell back into his arms. Her voice flowed over the orchestra, soft and sweet to accompany her counterparts deep and soulful voice. That was a voice he could fall asleep to, one that would soothe his demons and maybe even work on his daughter… 

But it wasn’t until later in the hotel room, when he took off his mask finally, that his dream was shattered. Yes, he went behind Nisha’s back to order flowers for that girl. Yes, it was weird and suspicious to anyone but Jack…because Jack didn’t think like the others did. But looking at his scared face in the mirror, he realized how foolish his dream of meeting that girl was. He had Nisha, who had stuck with him for years. He was about to take control of Pandora and awaken the Warrior. Whoever that girl was, she probably already had a husband or lover of some kind and he just caused more problems… 

And he kept thinking that until he was approached by Ezekiel Desjardins, of the Desjardins Coal and Heating Company. The only company on Triton keeping everyone on that godforsaken planet alive. The old man was curious as to who Marie’s expensive admirer was, and had called the floral company to track down the order information, bribing his way up the corporate ladder to find out it was Jack of Hyperion. A few days trip later and two folders in his hand: one pertaining to his granddaughter and the other full of receipts and information that proved it was indeed Jack. There was little the Hyperion President could do with all this information put together against him, and Jack was getting ready to lose part of his company and profits…. 

Instead, he got a treat. 

He remembered Ezekiel, silver hair pulled back into a ponytail and thick-rimmed glasses, sitting across from his desk with the folders. He had passed the one to Jack that was full of the receipts, including pre-purchased tickets Jack had ordered for just himself to see her in future concerts and entertainment events. “You seem to be a big admirer of my granddaughter.” Ezekiel said, “And you see, I’m a big admirer of your work, Mister Jack.” 

Jack leaned back in his chair, eyebrow raised. “So you’re blackmailing me into doing something for you?” 

“Blackmail? Jack, I am above such things! No, no….I’m merely making a suggestion.” Ezekiel handed the other folder to Jack finally, and inside was a detailed profile of the granddaughter. “My granddaughter, Marie, needs a husband. Someone needs to carry out the family name and legacy! Her brother won’t produce any legitimate heirs I want running my company when I die anyway.” 

Jack viewed the photos, noting that Ezekiel must’ve hired some photographer to stalk his own granddaughter. Some of the photos looked professionally posed, for the cover of a magazine or something, but others were more natural. One was of her in the kitchen with a red-haired woman, covered in flour and smiling like she had heard the funniest joke. Would she smile like that in his kitchen? 

“Your proposition?” Jack said, flipping through the pages. Extensive music and dancing lessons, well known with a violin, and…she worked with the miners? 

“You marry my granddaughter and gain a third of my stock. I get an army of 200 LoaderBots to squish a rebellion among the miners. They want higher pay!” Ezekiel shrieked, looking angry. “Higher pay! Shorter hours! They’re lazy enough as it is! They haven’t been mining enough coal to go around!” 

Jack chewed on his bottom lip, a nervous habit he had. “And when you die, then what? Who gets control of the company? I don’t want my stocks liquidated under my nose and I run out of this deal with a stupid wife and no money.” 

“I’ve arranged for Marie and whomever she marries to take ownership of the company. Should that person she marry be you, you gain full control of my company and stocks.” Ezekiel smiled, a fake grandfather-like smile that rubbed Jack the wrong way. “Deal, Mister Jack?” 

He’d have to investigate why Triton’s coal mines were coming up empty. Did they need to drill more into the core? Perhaps move the mine entirely? Or were the workers not pulling their weight…? Decisions for a later date. “Fine.” Jack extended his hand. “Lets make it a deal then. We’ll write up the contract and sign it by the end of the day.” 

Ezekiel was more than happy to stay and chat with his future grandson-in-law, insisting Jack call him “Grandpa” and such titles. Jack kept the folder close to him, tucking it away in his desk until such time that after the contract was agreed upon and signed, he was left alone with it. Ezekiel assured Jack that Marie would be in touch soon, and the wedding would follow soon after. Nisha was not at all happy that Jack broke things off with her, even though he offered to let her keep the town he gave her and run it how she pleased. Nisha’s fit was too much of a tantrum for Jack so handle, so he did what he normally would do: blow the place up with a missile from Helios. 

And now, current-day Jack was stuck in his own rage. Well, just a minor rage now. He had pre-planned that upcoming weekend to be his first introduction to his fiancée. He even got a companion for ButtStallion that she could name! But now ButtStallion and the unnamed Pandoracorn would have to frolic in their specially crafted terrain by themselves a little longer; Jack had a wife to get! 

He clicked a few buttons on his desk, “Hey wallet-head!” he yelled. “Get me a LoaderBots and a company car! I’m going to Pandora!”


	3. Meeting

_“And that’s it for this week’s broadcast of Downton Abbey! Stay tuned for the news! ***bzzzzk* This is an emergency broadcast. Lady Marie Desjardins of the Planet Triton has been kidnapped by her bodyguard, Isabelle Chimes. The Desjardins family is offering a reward of one-hundred thousand dollars for any useful information regarding the missing heiress, and one-million dollars for her safe return. Along with that, Hyperion President and recent fiancée of Lady Marie is offering five-hundred thousand dollars for the dead or live capture of her captor. The last-known whereabouts of the duo was on Triton, heading to the desolate wasteland of the planet Pandora. *bzzzk*”** _

Another day, another broadcast for that missing Triton girl. Her posters were plastered all over the planet; on billboards and the ECHOnet broadcasting on every channel. Mordecai just shook his head, whatever happened to this girl wasn’t pleasant in the end. The missing messages began a few months ago and haven’t stopped. He listened to the news broadcast one day while he was cleaning Bloodwing’s cage: parents who had recently lost their son to ATLAS’s abandonment of Pandora and had now just lost their daughter who was trying to find out what happened exactly to the missing son. But he didn’t feel pity or empathy for her. Anyone who had some kind of relationship with Jack was some type of asshole one way or another. Except that girl Athena…yeah she was probably the only good person screwed over by him. 

He had just finished cooking up dinner when his ECHO went off and Roland’s picture popped up. With a heavy sigh, Mordecai answered it, not looking forward to a late-night chat with the ex-Crimson Lance officer. “Just made dinner Roland, this better be good.” 

“Sorry to bother you Mordecai, but it is urgent.” Roland’s voice sounded shaky. “One of the old Crimson Lance distress signals went off. From my old squad. Nobody should know that distress signal is there but myself and those I served with.” 

Mordecai stopped chewing, hard swallowing the chunk of meat-and-beany goodness. “You sure it’s the same signal, man? Could be someone wanting to try and lure you out, fuck us up and take us to Jack.” 

“That’s why I’m calling you. I need a spotter, and I need backup. I’ve already got Lilith on her way over to help, and I can’t count on Brick, but I got Axton coming with me instead. Zero’s not responding, and I really need to call in this favor with you.” 

Mordecai combed the rice out of his beard, thinking things over. “Alright, but this is a huge favor amigo. I’m talking like you need to get me a barrel of Rakk Ale when we’re done with this.” 

“Done.” Roland said. “Anything to know if someone from my squad is still alive.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Mordecai huffed, grabbing his sniper rifle. “Where to, amigo?” 

“Old Haven.” 

Of course it had to be Old Haven. That was the last place the Crimson Lance was spotted, but didn’t Roland and Lilith wipe out the remaining Lance soldiers that refused to join the Crimson Raiders? “Make it a double barrel, then.” Mordecai snipped, putting his food away and collecting his gear. The ECHO call ended and Mordecai could tell that this was going to be a long, hard night ahead of him. 

The place looked the same when Mordecai showed up. Well, mostly the same, except it was clear that someone or something was using this place as a base of operation. Roland was sitting on some rocks on a cliffside, using binoculars to scout. “The place is loaded with landmines.” He muttered, turning on the special vision setting to detect the buried bombs. “Rad mines too…” 

“Lovely.” Axton sighed, loading up his automatic rifle. “So, what next? Do we charge in, guns blazing?” 

“I would’ve called Salvador if I wanted that.” Roland sighed, looking over the routes into the burned-down village and paused. “….there’s a Claptrap unit.” 

Lilith, who was filing her nails, stopped and stared at Roland. “What?” Roland handed her the binoculars and, sure enough, there was a Claptrap unit approaching them. Weaving between the mines in a certain fashion, perhaps a path that it was taught. 

“I thought Sanctuary had the last remaining working unit.” Mordecai muttered, looking down his scope with disbelief. 

“Seems not anymore.” Roland replied, and took the binoculars back from Lilith. “Is it…why is it pointing to its wrist?” 

Axton look a look through his own set of binoculars and immediately turned on his ECHO locator and set it to find the strongest signal. “Its trying to communicate!” 

*bzzzzt* “-IF YOU UNDERSTAND, TURN ON YOUR ECHO BROADCAST AND FIND THE STRONGEST SIGNAL! What, do I gotta get flags to communicate with you guys? PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS! OUR ASSAULT BOTS ARE READY TO FIRE!” 

Assault bots? Mordecai peered through his sniper scope and, sure as hell, there was a humanoid-looking cyclops bot with its red eye glowing. The jaw section was opened up to reveal some kind of gun barrel….was that a laser? “Holy shit, amigo!” 

Axton acted fast. “Hold your fire! We copy! Hold your fire!” 

“THANK GOD!” the Claptrap’s voice echoed. “We were just about to release the assault bots on you! I did NOT want to have to clean up that mess.” 

“We received your Crimson Lance distress signal. I’m Roland, former Squad Leader of the Crimson Lance…while they were still here. We’re just responding to the call.” Roland said, and pulled up his binoculars. “My god…there’s more?” 

At least three more assault bots were walking shakily down the alleys, keeping their eyes fixed on the group. “Call off you assault bots!” Axton ordered. 

“No can do! You’re the fifth “Roland” we’ve met this week! You gotta pass the test!” Claptrap said, his voice all too cheerful and it sicken Mordecai. 

“What god damn test?” Roland shouted into the Echo. 

Suddenly, a voice that had been hidden by a distorting mechanism replied. “Fifth Squad Leader Roland; what was your nickname for Soldier #765387?” 

What? 

“I’m sorry…can you repeat that?” Roland asked. 

“All of your soldiers had a serial number attached to them. I’d asking for the nickname you gave of one specific soldier. Soldier #765387. If you do not know the nickname and value your life, please leave the premises.” The voice replied. 

Roland looked like he was in shock for a moment, but then replied back on the Echo. “Soldier #765387’s name was Mephiste Alexander Desjardins. I gave him the nickname Charlie Chaplin.” 

The assault bots immediately shut their jaws but did not move their position nor their gaze away from the group hiding among the cliffs. “Follow the Claptrap unit. It will lead you back to the base safely.” the voice said, before cutting off the channel. 

With weapons holstered, the group descended the cliffside and approached the Claptrap at the edge of the town carefully. “Watch your step!” Claptrap noted, going at a slow pace so that the group could single file themselves and follow the minion. “Boy, am I glad you’re the real Roland! We had one dude this week that just demanded he was the real one and that my boss would come out! He’s lucky he left with his life! Kept his gold-plated metal tooth though!” 

Lilith cringed. “So, you tortured him?” 

“Tortured? Nah, more like he was right under the metal magnet after he scaled the rooftops, and my boss decided to teach him a lesson by removing a tooth…or a few.” Claptrap explained, bringing the group to one of the larger buildings. “Here it is! Welcome to the Base!” 

The windows were all boarded up on the outside, and Mordecai could see that inside was fortified by some thick metal that was welded onto the window rail. Roland opened the door carefully, and the inside was fully lit up like a Christmas Tree. “Hello?” the Lance ex-leader called out. “Is someone here?” 

“Come inside.” The distorted voice said. “I have tea on the stove.” 

“Thank you for the um…hospitality. But I-“ 

“That wasn’t a request, Roland.” 

The group was shoved inside forcefully, the assault bots having crept up behind them. The door slammed shut, automatic locking system taking effect and barring them in and anyone else out. There had been two sets of feet above them, one normal and one had a limp in its rhythm. The lights near the staircase lit up, and the first to come down was a woman with long pink-red hair pulled up into a braid that wrapped around the back of her head. She was escorting the limping person down the steps, and Mordecai nearly dropped his gun. 

The missing girl from the posters. 

“Now this explains a lot.” Roland muttered, easing up a bit. 

“So you do know me?” the girl with the duo-toned hair replied. “You know who I am and what I’m here for?” 

“As well as why you knew where the distress beacon was. Question now is; why not come find me personally?” Roland retorted, moving forward. “And when did you see a doctor about your broken foot?” 

“Isa is an expertly trained medical assistant. As well as my bodyguard.” the girl replied, using the crutch under her arm to soften the blow to her leg as she hobbled to her chair in the broken-down kitchen. A kettle was on the stove and various mugs were on the table. Enough for all of them, plus a few more. “Wasn’t sure how many people you’d have for this team, but I’m glad I overestimated.” 

Lilith looked irritated. Who wouldn’t be? Being threaten of being killed and disintegrated by lasers, walked through a literal landmine field, and now her boyfriend was getting chummy with another girl? “Just what the hell is going on here?” 

Mordecai was the first to answer. “That’s the girl from the wanted posters. Jack’s fiancee.” 

“Except,” the girl sternly corrected. “I wasn’t kidnapped, I left on my own accord, and I’d rather die than marry that lunatic. My name is Marie Rosamund Desjardins. I need your help finding my brother on this planet. He’s still alive."


	4. Company Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The distress signal reaches Jack.

Now Rhys was a man who put up with a **lot** of Jack’s bullshit. 

Who made the purchases of all those flowers? Rhys did. Who stalked her online and read nearly every article to find out her favorite flowers, chocolates, color, and anything else useless just to make a report about her for Jack? Rhys did, with the help of Vaughn. Now who was in the company car with his boss hurling towards Pandora, clutching his laptop like it was his life? 

You guessed it, Rhys was. 

Now, he could put up with most of his boss’s bullshit moments. He got paid enough, he was higher on the ladder than Vasques (and thank the gods for that,) not to mention that Jack trusted Rhys is a lot of major company decisions. Often with the threat of “if you fuck this up, I'll skin you alive.” 

So Rhys liked to think that he had some luck and good senses to make it this far being Jack’s second-hand man. 

“Jack?” Rhys asked, trying his best not to step on eggshells around his crazy boss. “Um...Mister Jack?” 

“Rhysie, how many times do I have to tell you to not say that? You’ve been my right-hand for, like, a year now!” Jack hissed, pressing the pedal to the floor of the car. 

“Right.” Rhysie gave a nervous chuckle, eyeballing the planet they were hurling towards. “Um...why, exactly, do we need to go to Pandora?” 

Forgetful Jack. In the heat of the moment, he forgot to tell his buddy why they were going to that cyst pool of a planet. “Girlie’s down there.” Jack said, nonchalantly. “We’re gonna get her.” 

“Down there? As in, down on Pandora?” Rhys gasped. “But...what the hell for? Why?” 

“Some shitbag of a grandfather she has. When Atlas abandoned the planet, he didn’t have the fucking balls to get his own grandson.” Jack explained. “So, what does Girlie do? Takes off on her own to Pandora.” 

Rhys looked at the boss of Hyperion, mainly in shock. “She...she left a few months ago, though, sir. Would she still be alive?” 

“One of the LoaderBots picked up on a signal in New Haven. That hell place we burnt down?” Jack mentioned. “Signal’s out now, but I need you and your lovely ECHOeye to help me find out if its her. Kinda need you to see something I can’t.” 

Now it was making sense. Jack wasn’t in a rush to Pandora for a rampage, but in a rush to find someone he hoped would still be alive. “What makes you suspect its her, though?” 

“The transmission came from exactly where her brother was last known to have been under the command of Atlas. So its either her, or her brother. Either way, it’s a lead on one of them.” Jack explained. 

Rhys mulled this over for a bit before responding. “If it’s the brother and not the sister though?” 

“Either he’ll have information about where she’s at or want to help. Like hell I’m sending him back to their old shitbag just yet.” Jack hummed. “More than likely, I can use him as a pawn for Girlie.” 

“A pawn?” Rhys repeated. “Like, to get her to stay?” 

“I’ll treat her brother like a king while we’re looking for her, get her to see I’m not bad. Get her to see its nicer to stay with me than on that fuckin’ icicle.” Jack explained. “Maybe let Angel get to know her future uncle a little.” 

That gave Rhys a little hope. One of Jack’s last wives had mentioned his abuse of Angel by keeping her locked up and fed on Eridium and “vanished” as a result of her questioning and thought of authority over the Hyperion President. If Jack was thinking by himself that he should let Angel out, even for a few moments, there was potential to get her more time out of that chamber in the future and perhaps keep her out indefinitely. 

Rhys opened the laptop he carried with him, typing his password in and updating the log he kept for Jack on the whereabouts and attempts to find Marie. “Hey, while you’re on that thing,” Jack said as they entered Pandora’s atmosphere with a little bit of a bump. “can you order more of those chocolates she loves? I had a few and it suddenly turned into the whole box missing. Those things are good!” 

“Of course.” Rhys sighed, sending an order to Vaughn about ordering at least 5 more boxes of the sweets. “Anything else?” 

Jack had a look of deep thought for a few moments. Rhys knew what he was doing, his mental inventory of what he had at home for his future wife. Dresses, jewelry, perfume, make-up, the unnamed Pandoracorn that frolicked with ButtStallion.... “Nope. I got nothing.” Jack admitted. “Unless you can think of something?” 

Rhys shook his head, going back to the log and mentioning that they ordered 5 boxes of the chocolate from her home planet. With a bit more of a rough landing on Pandora than expected, Jack had pulled up to the outskirts of New Haven. Burnt, disgusting city of “New Haven.” Jack exited the car first, followed by Rhys. Immediately, his ECHOeye went haywire. “Watch it, boss!” Rhys yelled, his eye picking up multiple signs of radiation and electrical signs. “Someone set landmine traps.” 

“Someone’s got a brain between their head.” Jack huffed, pulling out his watch. “Yvette, have wallet-head issue me a few LoaderBots. We got a landmine down here.” 

“Landmine?” Yvette asked, her face appearing on Jack’s ECHOwatch screen. “How bad?” 

“At least one every five feet. I can see a path to a house.” Rhys said. “Still need to control the landmines, though. Make sure they don’t become a problem for someone else who wanders into the area.” 

“Vasquez is sending LoaderBots your way as we speak.” Yvette replied, typing away her orders to her subordinate. Jack motioned for Rhys to go ahead along the safe patch his ECHOeye could see, following his closely. Readying his gun just in case shit “got real” at the base, Jack eyed the landing LoaderBots that were around his car. “Anything else, Jack?” 

“All good, Yvette. Tell wallet-head I said thanks for sending those bots out right away.” Jack said before ending the call. 

The base was run-down, and the door wide open. Odd, Rhys thought as he made his way up to the door. The company man had readied his own gun, calling out into the base. “Hello? Is anyone there?” 

“Idiot.” Jack hissed, pushing past Rhys and walked into the house with his shield up. He scanned the room with his gun pointed out, looking for any signs of life. “Room’s empty.” 

Rhys moved past Jack, looking around. The kitchen looked like a mess, but oddly enough… “Someone was here.” The president said, going over to the table. A warm kettle of water and a few teabags. The cups were scattered on the table, liquid pooling below on the floor with what wasn’t contained on the wooden slab. Jack picked up a few bags and sniffed it. “Strawberry hibiscus…gotta be her.” 

Rhys looked around the kitchen. Multiple people…. some of the cups were dry and empty on the table, so not as many as she was expecting. Heavy footprints, so someone of a larger status. There were also a few dirty marks of a round rubber circle next to smaller shoe prints that matched…oh no…. “She’s injured.” 

“What?” Jack growled, looking down at the print patterns. “That…. You’re certain?” 

“It’s her shoe size.” Rhys explained, scanning over the print patterns. “Left foot is injured. Her bodyguard is with her. The bandaged up foot is heavier than the other one, so the break must’ve been recent given the weight of the cast.” 

Jack swore profoundly, grabbing one of the unused cups and threw it against the wall. “Dammit!” he bellowed. “Who the fuck has her?” 

Rhys sighed, knowing Jack was thinking the worst. That some psycho bandits were let into her home, kidnapped her, and were probably chopping her up alive as they spoke. But they both knew that girl had a better head on her shoulders if she planted the mines out front. So, Rhys used his ECHOeye once more and scanned the table for fingerprints. Luckily for him, there were plenty. 

Though Jack wasn’t going to like the news. 

“The fingerprints left on the table have a match.” Rhys said, gulping. He prayed to whatever god was out there that he wouldn’t lose his head over this. 

“Whose?” Jack hissed, glaring at Rhys. 

“Roland’s….” Rhys quivered, watching his boss in case he needed to dodge an incoming attack. 

But Jack just stood there, unmoving. “You’re sure?” 

“Positive. His fingerprint’s all over the table.” Rhys said, motioning to the object. “I don’t see a sign of a struggle, so I’m guessing-” 

“She wouldn’t have gone willingly!” Jack yelled, seething with rage now. “Roland probably fed her some bullshit about how he has her brother at that fucked up redneck town of theirs and she went! That’s gotta be it!” 

Rhys signed, rubbing hire forehead. “We should look around, see if we have any clues about what else happened here.” 

“I’ll head upstairs.” Jack said, moving swiftly up the rancid steps. Rhys shook his head, finally calming down. There was an explosion outside and he poked his head by the door, seeing the LoaderBots shooting the explosive landmines. A few were scattered to the other buildings and pulling out the radiation mines, deactivating them carefully. Two were, thankfully, digging a deep hole to bury the radiation products in. He looked around what he thought was the living room, seeing the beacon device that caused all this havoc in the first place. Clever, he thought, that the Crimson Lance had disguised it as a decorative statue of a fishnet stocking covered leg lamp. Wasn’t that from the Christmas Story? 

When he was done with his inspection, he went upstairs. Jack was awfully quiet. He found his boss in what was, by the looks of it, the bedroom for the two ladies. In his arms he held close to his chest a brown, torn-up, soot and blood covered jacket. “This was hers.” He said woefully, sounding like he was going to cry. “Ran the blood samples already. It’s her coat, Rhysie.” 

Moments like these the company man had sympathy for his boss. “I’m sorry, Jack.” He muttered, watching his boss look over the other things scattered about the room. A few bullet shells, bloody bandages, medicine…. “I think she had her foot repaired here before it was casted.” 

“Her bodyguard is a trained medic. They packed supplies for this possibility before they left that fucking tundra.” Jack retorted, sitting on one of the makeshift beds. “Both of the bodyguards for the twins were hand-picked at a young age. Isa’s a military expert, qualified medic, and has excelled survival skills. The boy’s bodyguard….” Jack mused things over. “Well…his name’s Grime, right?” 

“Grima.” Rhys corrected, having looked up enough information on the white-haired male himself. 

“Right, that weird fuckin’ name.” Jack hissed. “He’s an archeologist expert, also a trained medic, and has superb tactician skills for combat. Those two were orphaned as infants and hand-picked when they were toddlers by the old fart.” 

Jack laid on the bed, holding the coat close to him. “I want the sheets off this bed.” He said. “They smell like her…her perfume’s on here.” 

Rhys shook his head, leaving the room and sending up an order to Yvette to have some soldiers come down and collect objects from the site. Whether Jack wanted them or not, whatever they had at this base could prove to be useful. 

Meanwhile, on the cliffside overlooking New Haven, the fugitive group watched with horror. “Fuck.” Marie said, having piggy backed on Roland during their escape. “Dammit….where the hell are we gonna go now?” 

“Sanctuary.” Roland said nonchalantly, earning a grunt of aggravation from Lilith. “We’ll have Zed look at your leg and see if its healing right. Other than that, you need to stay in Sanctuary where Jack can’t get you.” 

“But my brother is still out here somewhere!” Marie growled, fusing her brows together in agitation. “I’m not sitting on my ass doing nothing while he could be stuck in some skag-hole being eaten alive.” 

“We’ll find your brother,” Roland said, carrying her and leading the group to their hidden vehicles. “I promise.” 

Marie huffed as she was placed in the back of the car next to her bodyguard, the Claptrap unit between their legs. “….I’m holding you to that, commander.”


	5. Explination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isa and Roland have a chat.

“OUCH!” 

Marie hissed as the cast around her foot broke off finally, Zed insisting that he needed to x-ray the limb to make sure the bones were healing. Since Isa had used metal in the cast, it wouldn’t give him an accurate reading. “Do you have to be so rough?” she growled, watching the doctor raise his machine to take photos of her. 

“How exactly did you break this again?” he asked, flipping through his charts. “Makes no sense...you fell into a hole and broke your foot?” 

“Wasn’t exactly a hole.” Marie rubbed her eyes. “More like...um...” 

“We were out scavenging supplies and came across a skag burrow.” Isa replied, no longer beating around the bush. “M’lady insisted we go in, since skags have been known to hide away things in the corpse piles.” Her hair was covered by a sterile rubber hair cover, insisting that she help Zed with the process. “We managed to find some supplies we were looking for, but not much else before an elder skag attacked us.” 

“The hell were you lookin’ for?!” Zed yelled at Marie, pulling the sensitive photos out of their containers and posting them on the back-light board. “Food? Meat? Money?” 

“Eridium.” Marie said blankly. Zed stared at her. “We were looking for Eridium for testing.” 

“ **TESTING?!** ” Zed yelled. “What the **hell** would you need to test on Eridium?” 

“Burning properties.” Isa retorted, examining the photos. “Triton is running out of coal.” 

“How the hell would you know that?” Zed hissed, agitated that these two girls had arrived on Pandora so foolishly. “Your ma’am over there is sitting on a family pile of fuckin’ gold, and you come to Pandora to find a corpse and examine a mineral you can easily order?!” 

Something was thrown at Zed’s direction, either missed on purpose or accident, but managed to have the pointed end of it wedged into the wall. He looked at Marie’s direction, about ready to scream at her when Isa grabbed his shoulder, “You don’t know what’s going on. Triton is dying. Get out until you’re calm enough to perform your duties as an actual doctor.” 

When Zed made a move to start yelling again. Isa grabbed his shoulder tightly and the hem of his pants, walking him out of the clinic. Marie heard the screams of Zed and Isa as they fought, and finally a voice that sounded like Roland’s. After a few minutes of hushed tones, Isa came back with Roland; who promptly cleaned himself up. Either to assist with the procedure or to talk to Marie. When he pulled up a chair next to Marie, she knew it was the talking option. “So let’s picked up where we left off at your base.” Roland said, watching Isa search Zed’s medical supplies. 

“Didn’t even have tea.” Marie groaned. “Fucking Jack…I apologize Roland, I would’ve done a better job keeping the signal out of Hyperion’s scan if I had known he had scanners surrounding New Haven.” 

“Its fine. You’re safe and we’re safe.” He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “So…you came to Pandora to find your brother.” 

“He talked very highly of you. Even went as far as to wanting to follow you once you left the Crimson Lance.” Marie explained. “Every recording, he had some great tale that painted you as a reincarnation of George Washington.” Roland let out a chuckle at that, watching Isa find herself a needle and medicine, perhaps a pain killer, and insert the liquid into Marie’s IV that was previously forced upon her by Zed. “He was devastated when you left, he really was. Figured if anyone would help me find it, would’ve been you.” 

“He disclosed classified information to a civilian, was one of my more reckless soldiers, and often ignored what I said.” Roland explained. “Why would you even think I have any intention of helping you find him? Why trust me to not just turn you in to Jack?” 

“Because he was one of your best men and you damn well know it.” Marie hissed, the drugs starting to kick in. “Was he reckless? Yes. Did he disclose information to me? Of course. Did he ignore you? Every single day.” She adjusted her sitting position on the bed, watching as Isa began to recast the broken foot. “He disclosed information that would be needed to get help to a civilian who came to this planet in search of you or anyone who could honestly help. He was reckless only when it came to saving other people. Don’t try to tell me he didn’t make you proud when he ran into that chemical fire to save that mother and child.” She stared at him, eyes dropping from sleep, yet her temper forced them half-open. “And he only ignored your orders given to you by Atlas. Even then, he kept to most of the orders from Atlas as long as innocent people weren’t harmed.” 

The former Lance leader scoffed. “You caught me on that. What about the rest of what I said?” 

“Would’ve left us at the base if Jack hadn’t shown up.” She muttered, slowly dozing off. “Brought us here cause you want to help, not cause you had to. Could’ve left us there, and Jack would’ve taken us back to Hyperion….” 

A few moments later and Marie had passed out from the pain medication. Roland just sat next to her quietly until Isa spoke up. “She’s not lying,” she wrapped the foot in the wet bandage, letting it sit and harden a little before getting more strips ready. “You’re bluffing to make sure we’re here for that and not to cause trouble.” 

“Not gonna lie, I am.” Roland leaned back in his chair, relaxing a little. “You were telling Zed you were in a skag den looking for Eridium?” 

“We were, yes.” Isa replied. “Triton’s coal mines are running out. What’s left will keep the people alive for a decade at most, then the frost will kill everyone. Her grandfather is too stupid to realize it, insisting that the miners are being lazy.” She added more of the hardening cloth to Marie’s foot, being gentle. “Also, your friend Zed had no reason to worry. We found your medical station in the basement, and that did come equipped with an x-ray.” 

“So why let him examine and cut off the cast?” he inquired. 

“Because I needed to recast it. I did a hasty job on the outer layer.” She looked at him, one red eye and one green eye. “It was my fault. Marie talked me into doing a rushed job, even though the Assault Bots and Claptrap would’ve warned us if anyone had come along.” 

Roland picked up the gun that Marie brought with, looking it over. “Nice weaponry.” 

“She’s had that custom made.” Isa stood up, having finished her job, and grabbed the rifle from Roland. “One switch, two modes.” She flipped the switch to the forward position, and the rifle flowered out to have multiple barrels. “Mass assault weaponry, and then,” she flipped the switch to the back position, and the barrel became slim once more. “sniper rifle.” 

“Short and long range?” Roland whistled, taking the gun back from Isa. “And the bullets?” 

“Your standard bullets for the most part. Except,” She pressed another button on the rifle and ejected a chamber, handing it over. “These. Gas bullets. Not meant to hurt anyone, but when exposed to an oxygen rich environment the chemicals will react and form a fog that makes it hard to see and breathe.” 

“Sounds like she knows Pandora well enough to survive without you. So why did you come with?” Roland asked. 

“It is my duty to watch over her.” The red-haired maiden explained. “If I didn’t come, her grandfather would punish me.” 

Roland debated if he wanted to ask how until Isa’s jacket arm sleeve rolled up and he saw very old burn marks. “…you were tortured and condition to be her bodyguard, weren’t you?” 

“For a time, yes.” Isa replied. “Until m’lady showed me such kindness that I began to repress the conditioning. Now, I willingly serve.” Marie had made a muffled noise, and Isa approached the bedside table. “Do you have quarters she can rest at? The cast needs to harden for a bit, however-” 

“I’ll have bunks made for you two for the night. In the morning, we’ll investigate an actual home situation for you ladies. Can’t have you sleeping with the men every night.” He joked, getting up and going out the door. “I’ll have Zed leave her alone for now. When will the cast be harden?” 

“…..its fiberglass, so about 20 minutes.” Isa replied, seeming a little reluctant to follow Roland. “I should stay here.” 

“When was the last time you had a proper dinner? Or had anything besides canned food that you scavenged?” Roland retorted. “She’ll be safe in Sanctuary, I promise. Come with me to Moxxi’s, I’ll get you some real food. She’ll be fine for a while.” 

“….and you will get her food later, as well?” Isa asked, the promise of hot food and safety in the walls for her friend seemed too good. 

“I promise. Whatever she wants that we can make.” 

Zed had come back into the office, apologizing to Isa along the way in for screaming, and a promise to leave Marie alone to sleep. Sanctuary seemed pleasant all around, but to Isa….it was all too quiet. “She hasn’t had much sleep since we got here.” Isa explained as they approached Moxxi’s bar. “I’ve caught her most nights up at the scanning station, checking repeatedly if there’s any response messages from another Lance station.” 

“You didn’t get anything, did you?” Roland asked, and gained a shake of the head from Isa. “Most of them are dead. Checked myself. I’m surprised you got yours up and running.” 

“Eridium.” Isa explained, going into the bar. The music was loud, but the people were louder. “We’ve been testing its properties. Seeing if we can use it to keep the generators on Triton going.” 

“What did you discover?” 

Isa took a chair nearest to the door, far from the crowd surrounding Moxxi. “Its burnable. Lasts longer than coal. We can refine the slag off it, but we’re left with the runoff issue.” Roland gestured to Moxxi to bring over a few rounds of booze. “Then Marie had this idea: to use the chemical runoff of slag. It creates a radiation level close to what a decaying isotope would, but we can make furnaces that will protect the civilians. It’ll keep them warm.” 

Roland chewed the idea over in his head, staring at the beer Moxxi placed in front of him. “You’re suggesting turning Triton from a coal-mining planet into an Eridium refining planet?” 

“There’s not enough places on Pandora to refine Eridium. We’d have a deal with the Maliwan corporation first, sell the slag to them. The Eridium we’d use to burn partly and keep our citizens warm for a while until every housing unit came with a furnace to contain the runoff. Afterwards, the refined chunks we can sell off as ammunition to the citizens of Pandora.” Isa took a swig of her own beer. “I ran the numbers with Marie when this became a possibility. If we moved forward with that idea, the Desjardins Corporation would do much better financially and Triton would be improved in an economic sense. But we need Marie to lead the company on her own, without her grandfather’s interference or this Jack asshole.” 

The two sat in silence for a while, with Isa just enjoying the safety of Sanctuary. Roland looked to Zed’s office, then stared at his watch. “Should head back soon to get her. Its been almost an hour.” 

“Let her sleep.” Isa said, finishing her beer. “It’s been a while since she had decent rest. I hate to have to drug her to just get her to close her eyes.” 

“Drug her often?” Roland inquired, and Isa looked away sadly. “I’m sorry, am I prying too much?” 

“She’s had nightmares since she came to Pandora.” The woman explained. “Horrible creatures chase after her and her brother, or so she tells me. I usually spike her tea when the sleep deprivation gets so bad she starts itching herself until she bleeds….” 

“Is it paranoia?” 

Isa shook her head, lowering her gaze. “I doubt it, though it is a possibility. She seems more like she’s having a PTSD issue than paranoia.” She pushed the empty beer aside, closing her eyes. “Perhaps its from Pandora’s harsh environments, itself? I’m not sure.” 

“We should get you to bed.” Roland ordered, getting up. “C’mon, I have a bunker for you ready.” 

“But…M’lady?” Isa muttered, looking to Zed’s office. 

“I’ll have Mordecai sleep in the office with her. He’s use to sleeping in odd places.” The Lance commander said, helping Isa up and leading her to the barracks. “Plus, he hates sleeping with a crowd.” 

“Fine.” Isa huffed. “But come morning, I’m attending to Marie.” 

“Fair enough.”


End file.
